Football followers are counting down the times till the FIFA World Cup begins in Qatar on 20 November.
The 29-day match will see as much as 1.5 million folks descend on the Gulf state, the place matches shall be held throughout eight stadiums.
But ever since soccer’s greatest competitors was awarded to Qatar in 2010, it has been shrouded in controversy. Here Sky News appears to be like at what the problems are.
Corruption allegations
Qatar received the bid for the 2022 Men’s World Cup over the USA by 14 votes to eight.
But given the nation’s strict Islamic legal guidelines, its questionable human rights file, and searing temperatures, there have been fast corruption issues over the choice.
Soon after, FIFA commissioned its personal investigation into Qatar’s strategies, which discovered “no evidence of any improper activity by the bid team”.
But one US lawyer, Michael Garcia, whose identify was on the report, discovered that some Qatari conduct “may not have met the standards required by FIFA”.
Qatari businessman Mohamed bin Hammam was on FIFA’s 24-man government committee from 1996 to 2011, ultimately turning into its vice chairman.
But he was banned from all football-related exercise by the FIFA Ethics Committee in 2011.
The ban was later dropped attributable to a scarcity of proof however reinstated over his “conflicts of interest” the next 12 months.
In 2014, The Sunday Times printed the ‘FIFA recordsdata’, which it claimed revealed how Mr bin Hammam had made dozens of funds totalling greater than $5m (£4.32m) to soccer officers from varied international locations to certain up Qatar’s bid.
He was stated to have exploited his place inside FIFA to bribe others into giving his house nation the votes it wanted to win the match.
Heat
As nicely as corruption allegations, FIFA additionally seemed into how the acute warmth in Qatar would have an effect on the match.
Usually the World Cup occurs in the summertime, however this may have meant groups taking part in in temperatures of as much as 43C (109F).
In 2015 FIFA stated the match would as an alternative run from November to December, when situations could be a lot cooler – between 26C (79F) and 21C (70F).
It would even be a shorter match – lasting for simply 29 days as an alternative of the conventional 32 – and the newly-built stadiums would have particular cooling know-how.
The resolution to maneuver the match to winter was extremely controversial with European groups and their leagues threatening to sue over potential match clashes.
Migrant staff
Seven of the eight stadiums getting used for the match have been constructed from scratch, with the eighth present process main renovation.
The Gulf state’s small inhabitants of underneath three million has meant most individuals concerned in development have been staff from overseas.
Qatar’s ‘kafala system’ is a set of labour legal guidelines which permit Qatari people or companies to confiscate staff’ passports and cease them leaving the nation.
Human rights teams say this has given builders free reign to take advantage of them – exposing them to gruelling working situations for little pay and never permitting them to go house till tasks materialise.
There have been studies of migrant employee deaths that vary from a number of dozen to a number of thousand within the 12 years of preparation for the match.
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Same-sex {couples} refused at some Qatar accommodations
The International Trade Union Confederation places the determine at 7,000 by the point the match begins, whereas the Qatari authorities say there have been three work-related and 34 non-work-related fatalities in that point.
Among the primary causes of loss of life are street accidents, falls from tall buildings, publicity to mechanical forces and self-harm.
The Sunday Times has additionally reported Nepali migrant staff creating long-term kidney illness or dying from the results of warmth exhaustion.
Qatar says its kafala system has been partially dismantled and allegations of human rights abuses are unfair.
The match’s chief government Nasser al Khater has informed Sky News that the reported numbers of employee deaths “do not reflect the reality for construction workers on World Cup sites”.
“We have been unfairly treated… it is publicly available information,” he stated.
LGBT rights
Qatar’s Sharia regulation means same-sex sexual exercise has punishments starting from seven years in jail to loss of life by stoning.
According to the UK official journey recommendation for Qatar: “Host authorities have stated that ‘everyone is welcome’ at the World Cup.
“They have publicly confirmed there shall be no restrictions on non-married buddies or {couples} (together with LGBT folks) staying in the identical room.”
There have nonetheless been studies of some same-sex {couples} being refused bookings at World Cup accommodations.
Usually non-married {couples} additionally face punishment for participating in any intimacy.
Qatari officers have stated they won’t change their legal guidelines on the LGBT group, however no visiting fan shall be discriminated in opposition to on the match.
Supporters will be capable of wave rainbow flags and maintain palms, however whether or not gamers can put on rainbow ‘one love’ armbands is a call for FIFA, Mr Al Khater informed Sky News.
He stated: “All we ask is for people to be respectful of the culture.
“At the tip of the day, so long as you do not do something that harms different folks, in case you’re not destroying public property, so long as you are behaving in a means that is not dangerous, then all people’s welcome and you don’t have anything to fret about.”
A recent report by Human Rights Watch found that LGBT Qataris were being arbitrarily arrested for their sexuality or gender as recently as September.
It claimed some had been locked in underground prisons and subjected to verbal and physical abuse.
Transgender people said they had been forced into conversion therapy.
High-profile footballers, including members of the England, Wales, and Australia teams – and broadcaster Gary Lineker have voiced their concerns about LGBT people’s rights in Qatar.
Mr Lineker says he knows of two gay footballers who he hopes will come out during the World Cup in protest.
Treatment of ladies
Under Sharia regulation, girls in Qatar are closely restricted – and required to acquire permission or be accompanied by a devoted male guardian – their father, brother or husband – when getting married, learning, working in authorities jobs, travelling overseas and receiving some sorts of reproductive healthcare.
They do not need major guardian rights for his or her kids – even when they’re divorced and have authorized custody.
Within a wedding, a lady might be deemed ‘disobedient’ for not submitting to her husband’s calls for.
Foreign nationals should have a similar-style male guardian to acquire visas and wish their permission to acquire a driver’s licence and work within the nation.
Women are anticipated to decorate modestly, with their shoulders and legs lined, and might be requested to depart premises if not.
Mr Al Khater has stated that ladies won’t be stopped from watching the World Cup, including: “In Qatar, we have no restrictions on women’s access to the stadium. They have been attending matches for a long time.”
Three feminine referees are presiding over main males’s video games for the primary time at Qatar 2022.
Alcohol consumption
Usually alcohol consumption is restricted to accommodations and bars in Qatar – and different licenced premises for international guests offering they’re over 21.
But with the intention to host the match, officers have needed to prolong licences past that – to exterior stadiums and in fan zones.
Alcohol will even be on sale inside stadiums for 3 hours earlier than and one hour after each match – however not throughout.
In an interview with Sky News, head organiser Mr Al Khater revealed there shall be devoted zones the place drunken followers can sober up.
“It’s a place to make sure that they keep themselves safe, they’re not harmful to anybody else.”
According to the UK journey recommendation, rowdy followers might be vulnerable to getting on the improper aspect of the authorities if they’re impolite.
“Swearing and making rude gestures are considered obscene acts and offenders can be jailed and/or deported,” it says. “Take particular care when dealing with the police and other officials.”
Accommodation
With 1.5 million folks anticipated to journey to the match, the Qatar Tourism Authority has stated there are solely round 33,000 resort rooms out there.
Reports declare non-public residences and cruise ships are being made into fan lodging, however travellers say they’ve proved tough to entry.
One possibility being provided, which has been broadly slated by followers, is ‘five-star seaside tenting’.
Tourism officers say the seaside cabanas shall be of the best high quality.
But as one England fan informed Sky News: “I don’t think many fancy camping in a desert, in fact I don’t know anyone that has signed up to that option.”
Some followers are staying in neighbouring Dubai, the place legal guidelines are much less strict for international nationals, and travelling to Qatar for every recreation.
Source: information.sky.com”